Chatham-Kent Police Sgt. Robert Mugridge, suspended from duty with pay for three years, should soon see his time with the local police service finally severed.
Mugridge pleaded guilty to one count of fraud in court Monday, and will be sentenced Jan. 9.
Mugridge, a 29-year veteran of policing, bilked people out of more than $247,000 between 2009 and 2014.
Gary Conn, chief of police, said it hasn’t been an easy process.
“Sgt. Mugridge has had to deal with two processes and charges under both the Criminal Code of Canada and the Police Services Act of Ontario. The latter included 50 counts of discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act, which back in February of this year, both the prosecutor and defense entered an agreed statement of fact and a joint submission in regards to penalty, which was termination,” Conn said.
That will not take place until after the case is over.
The Police Services Act hearing will re-convene in December, when it is slated to be finalized, Conn said.
“This has certainly been a difficult and trying time for both our service and the citizens of Chatham-Kent. Having said that, this does bring us one step closer to the conclusion of this protracted matter,” he said. “Both processes take significant amount of time, however we (Chatham-Kent Police Service) did everything in our power to expedite these investigations.”
